Avenger's One-shots and Preferences

Helping Each Other- Tony Stark

I got an unusual request by iamKhrfan123 where the reader of this one-shot is a dog Tony and Pepper adopt to help Tony cope with his PTSD. Said dog also came from an abusive home, and is scared around the Avengers and paparazzi.

Mentions of PTSD and mentions of animal abuse as well. Enjoy.

"You sure about this?" Tony asks of his wife as they're about to enter the rescue shelter. "Yes, I'm sure," Pepper insists, "Tony, I really think adopting a service dog will help you in the long run. I'm doing this because I love you and I've been concerned about you lately."

With everything he'd been through lately, Tony's nightmares and anxiety episodes have been been getting the better of him. Despite having Pepper there to support him and going to regular therapy sessions, it didn't really look like the man was getting any better. So after doing a little bit of research online, and reading various testimonials, Pepper figured maybe a service dog might help; there were plenty of war veterans with PTSD out there that were able to live with said disorder with the help of the dogs they adopted, so hopefully this would work out Tony.

In the present, the couple step into the animal shelter and began to browse through the kennels where the dogs were kept. There were a whole lot to choose from, each had a different story to tell, some more horrifying then the last. Tony met with a few of the dogs, but none of them seemed to stick out for him.

Until Tony walked up to the very kennel and found you, a chubby six month old puppy dog, laying in the left corner. You ears perked up the moment you heard the billionaire approaching, and the two of you make direct eye contact the moment he steps in front of the gate. "Hey there," Tony coos, kneeling a little to get eye level. You were a little hesitant at first. The home you were born and had previously lived in was an abusive one, which has made you wary and even scared of other human beings. But there was something  about this man you liked for some reason...it's almost like you could trust him completely with your life.

Tony makes kissing sounds, beckoning for you to come over to him. You slowly, and somewhat hesitantly approach. When you were close enough, Tony reaches out to you, in a none-threatening way. You flinch when he touches your head, but then you lean into it. The touch gave you a sense of comfort you never felt with anyone else.

"Wow," one of the staff approaches Pepper and Tony, "That's interesting, I never seen (y/n) willingly approach anyone like that before." "What's this pup's story?" Tony questions as he continues to pet you. "She came from a very abusive home," the staff person explains, "drunken owner would beat her whenever, and didn't feed her much either. When she came to the shelter, (y/n) was nearly skin and bones and had cuts all over the legs and torso. Some of us weren't sure if she was going to make it, but by some miracle she pulled through. She really likes to eat that's for sure, but she's still wary around people. It's actually encouraging to see her this comfortable with someone." "She's perfect," Tony compliments, "This is it. This is the dog that's coming home with me."

The papers were drawn up, the fee was paid, and you were officially Tony Stark's dog. Before leaving the shelter though, Tony made a sizable donation to help out the animals that still needed a home.

It took some time for you to adjust to your new home, but you formed an instant bond with Tony. Soon the man had you registered as a service dog and you received the proper training and equipment to carry out your tasks.

In the coming weeks, Tony actually started to make progress in coping with his PTSD. In return, you were starting to feel like you found a place you could actually call home for the first time in your life. Even though you were comfortable around Tony and Pepper, you were still wary around other human beings.